The Bourne Legacy

Jeremy Renner takes over the lead for Matt Damon, and Tony Gilroy gives the franchise a shot as director. No stranger to adaptations, Gilroy was a writer on the first go-round of Bourne films, and after his massive success in his debut with Michael Clayton, and the forgettable Duplicity, Universal turned over the keys to their car to him. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite ready for the responsibility.

The story unfolds like most rogue spy stories. Renner plays Aaron Cross, an Outcome agent, who is very similar to Bourne's Treadstone project which attempted to genetically create a superspy. We all know what happened in Bourne's case, but Cross has a different problem. When the program is shut down due to Bourne's high profile shenanigans, his supply of medication is cut off, and he's put on the hit list.

Sounds pretty familiar, right? It's heavily recycled material, and maybe I was expecting too much after the cerebral thriller Michael Clayton, but this played out very much in the way that a poorly thought out action film might. No surprises, but also no real mystery, which is part of the fun of these movies. The linear progression of the story doesn't allow for very much supposition or prediction by the audience.

Renner is very charming taking over the lead, and seems very comfortable in the role. His recent rise to stardom is deserved, and although his look is a bit gruff and different, he's a great actor, and a great choice for an action star. Given the success of the film ($40 million opening weekend) and his recent string of hits and Oscar performances (The Hurt Locker, The Town, Avengers, Mission Impossible), he's going to be around for a long time. The upcoming Hansel and Gretel project will be a fun film, and he's on board for the next Mission Impossible, and I expect a spawning trilogy of Bourne films, although I wonder if they will keep the Bourne name in the title for recognition, or let Aaron Cross make his own mark on the Ludlum universe. The films will find an audience and make a profit, but it's a bit of a blemish on the franchise and Universal might be better off moving Renner into his own vehicle and driving forward.

Renner finds himself surrounded by an amazing cast of veteran actors: Scott Glen, Albert Finney, Stacey Keach, David Strathairn, and a glimpse of Joan Allen. The strongest performance however, was Ed Norton, who plays the man tasked with containing the outbreak of secrets and rogue agents. He finds himself coming back into the spotlight after falling off the radar through a string of bad role choices and rumors of on-set difficulties. This summer's Moonrise Kingdom, coupled with his performance in Legacy ensures that he's back, and ready to enter a new phase in his career as an older, wiser man approaching his mid-40's. He could be a strong actor for decades if he plays his cards right and chooses roles with a bit more discernment.

Rachel Weisz plays the requisite female lead and is not given much to work with. She's the doctor who performs physicals on the Outcome agents at a government contracted medical facility, and despite her ridiculous naivete, seems all-too willing to drop everything and go on the run after a traumatic event threatens her life.

Cliche action sequences do keep the audience engaged, and Renner is super cool if nothing else. The film does keep in line with the others in terms of tone, dialogue, and action. I will give Gilroy that. It just seems a bit stale. We've seen the shootings, chases, clever gadgetry, and unrealistic foresight by the protagonist before. The motorcycle chase scene is cool, and there is a tense shooting rampage scene that has a bit too much verisimilitude. Other than that, the movie doesn't really go anywhere.

Wow, I'm making it sound like a terrible movie, which it's really not. It's entertaining enough for a summer popcorn film, but Bourne movies are supposed to be a bit more intellectual and not mindless action. Renner and Norton are fun to watch, and I'm glad I chose this over Total Recall (will wait for Netflix). However, don't expect too much from this one. 6/10.